Wouldn't It Be Nice?
by Acepilot6
Summary: Sequel to "The Gruen Transfer". Susie and Angelica share a chaotic Christmas with their relatives, seeking acceptance as they prepare to start their own family. Chapter 2 of 2 up. Feedback welcomed.
1. Chapter 1

**Wouldn't It Be Nice  
**Acepilot

AN – Alright, this fic was going to be called _So Much to Tell You_, but then this title came to me and it was simply _perfect_, for much the same reason that it was a perfect title for the AGU episode that also made use of it. If you've never heard the song, then I highly reccomend you do so. Anyway, this is the conclusion to the Susie/Angelica 'trilogy' of tie-ins to the _Tertiary_ universe. This is set on the same day as Chapter 15 of _Tertiary_ and the fic _You Were the Only One in the Room_, though reading those is not entirely necessary. I hope you enjoy this fic - I've found this couple really different and fun to write. Reviews are ever appreciated.

Disclaimer - you know the drill. I don't own it. I'm sure this is a surprsie to no-one.

8 _ * _ * _ 8

Susie Carmichael had long had plans.

She had planned to be a singer – or maybe a dancer. It had been her dream since she was a child, that she might some day see her name up in lights, to share what she viewed as her most special gift with the world. The idea that her singing could make people...feel better, or feel sad, or feel _anything_ was incredibly special to her.

She had planned on getting married and starting a family. She knew, from a young age, that she wanted to be a mother. Dil Pickles had, more than once while they were growing up, commented on her mother henning of the group and she had to admit he had a point. The idea of having a family, someday in the future – was very high on her list of priorities.

Of course, some plans change.

"Not that I'm complaining," Angelica gasped as she tried to get her breath back, "but what the hell was that for?"

"I love you," Susie told her. "I just felt the need to express it."

"Did you have to express it right against the DeVille's front door?" she asked, indicating their surroundings with a vague wave of her hand. "Again, just to clarify – not complaining. Just a bit surprised."

" Yes, I did. It was completely necessary that I do _that_ here, and now," she emphasised.

Angelica shrugged. "Well, if that impulse overtakes you, then it's absolutely one-hundred-percent necessary that you act on it."

Susie grinned. "Come on. We should probably get to my parent's house before dinner."

"Susie, it's just there," Angelica indicated the house across the street.

"Yeah, but we're being punctual," she told her, grabbing Angelica's hand and leading the blonde toward the house she'd gown up in. "I think it went well."

"Of course it went well, my parents adore you," Angelica pointed out.

She had a point, of course. When they had told Angelica's parents they were dating, the response had been rather unexpected – Drew had nodded and smiled while Charlotte said she was pleased – that Angelica had found someone as sensible and grounded as Susie, especially after "all those...airheads" she used to date.

Angelica had taken offence at this, but only because she felt obligated to. She guessed her mother had a point.

"Well, some of us are just born perfect," Susie told her, adopting a long suffering tone of voice. "And your parents were good enough to recognise that in me."

Angelica rolled her eyes. "I've got to stop complimenting you so much. Your head won't fit through doorways pretty soon."

"It's just because you're good enough to recognise it in me, too," Susie told her.

Angelica simply smiled as her fiance took her hand and started walking them toward her childhood home.

"So, would I be correct in assuming that you know something I don't about the manner in which Phil and Kimi tore out of here this afternoon?" Angelica queried. "Because I'm guessing it wasn't to elope. Unless they were seriously trying to steal our thunder."

Susie snorted. "I would be very, very surprised if they were taking off to elope, trust me," she told Angelica. "No, something finally happened with Lor and Phil. I imagine they'd be in Bahia Bay by now."

Angelica laughed. "Ah, damn. I was getting such mileage out of the tension between the two of them – now I won't have anything to tease Phil about."

"I'm sure you'll find something," she said, pulling Angelica up to the front door of her parent's house. "Alright. Are we ready to do this?"

"I suspect we're as ready as we're ever likely to be."

"Come on, it's going to go fine," Susie reassured her.

Angelica quirked an eyebrow. "This is a far cry from this morning."

"Well, I'm being positive and hopeful."

"I'm glad. It'll be fine, Susie. I told you everyone was going to be happy for us – and look what's happened so far. Everyone is."

She smiled at Angelica as she reached out to ring the doorbell. Everyone had, indeed, been fine – though by and large everyone they'd told so far had been happy for them from the beginning. Telling their parents had involved _everyone_ becoming aware of their relationship – other than Phil, of course, who had already known they were falling for each other, and had received confirmation that they'd moved into a more...intimate relationship when he had come to Susie's dorm one morning with coffee and a plea for advice, only to discover a very naked couple on the couch scrambling for clothes.

Angelica had noted that, after this, Phil had learned that knocking wasn't enough – and never entered a room without an express invitation first.

Of course, it hadn't been quite that easy with Susie's parents.

Susie had felt like she was in a very awkward scene from _Guess Who's Coming To Dinner_ when they'd finally come out to her parents. Neither her mother or father seemed to want to appear impolite, but she (and she was quite sure Angelica) could tell that they were not exactly thrilled with her choice of significant other. Her mother had taken her aside and asked her if she 'really could afford to let herself be distracted' from her studies.

Susie had assured her she could control both, but she knew that her mother's lingering question marks over her relationship with Angelica had remained.

But like she had told Phil earlier, she had seen it all before, when first Alysa and then Edwin had found the respective loves of their lives. Her parents were simply not keen on anything they thought might not be entirely serious. If you're not willing to work hard at something, why do it at all?

"You want to knock or are we just going to stand here for the rest of the evening?" Angelica asked, placing a hand on Susie's shoulder.

The question and the body contact jolted Susie back to life. She hadn't even realised they were standing in front of her parents house. She blushed a little and turned to smile at Angelica. "Sorry," she said, kissing her on the cheek, before turning back to the door and knocking, twice, slowly.

"Coming!" On the upside, Susie thought to herself, at least her mother sounded cheerful. Moments later the door was flung open and she found herself face to face with her parents, her mother cradling Michael, the newest grandchild and Edwin's first offspring.

Susie threw them her brightest smile. "Merry Christmas, Mom, Dad," she offered, stepping forward into the doorway and wrapping them both up in as big a hug as she could manage without jostling the baby too much.

"Merry Christmas sweetheart," her mother returned, leaning into the embrace and kissing her on the forehead – before Susie felt her stiffen slightly. She pulled back to see that Lucy was looking over her shoulder. "And merry Christmas to you too, Angelica."

"Same to you, Mrs. C," Angelica replied. Susie mentally crossed her fingers that this wouldn't become a sticking point of etiquette. "I hope you've all had a lovely day."

The line was delivered with obvious rehearsal and was about as distant from Angelica's usual behaviour as you could possibly get, but it was a nice gesture and they were, after all, out to impress. Susie decided to distract her parents from the issue at hand by reaching out and claiming Michael from his grandmother. "And Merry Christmas to you too, little man," she said, hoisting the baby in the air. "Did Santa bring you lots of presents?"

"Eee!" the child squealed.

"That's good," she murmured.

"What are you all doing standing on the doorstep?" Ty, Alysa's husband, asked from behind the elder Carmichaels, where he stood with overfilled rubbish bags loaded with wrapping paper. "Oh, hey Suz."

"Hi, Ty," she returned, watching as her parents parted to allow him through. He smiled and greeted Angelica as he cut through toward the trash cans by the side of the house, while the two couples and the baby finally made their way indoors. Susie was just glad to be out of the stilted manners of the doorstep greeting.

The house was full of the sights and smells and sounds that Susie associated with a score of Christmases and Kwanzaas, her parents decorations were the epitome of tastefulness but this year had clearly been yanked at and chased after by a gaggle of newfound toddlers – Michael and his assorted cousins. Alysa, Buster and now Edwin had all had kids – Alysa now had two, even.

Susie had a flash in her mind of her own child tugging at the garland of popcorn hanging from the tree, cackling madly. She reached out and grasped Angelica's hand, squeezing it tightly, and felt her gesture returned. She wasn't sure if Angelica was thinking along the same lines or just thought she was nervous again, but she wasn't fussed. Just knowing that she was there and not running despite the obviously problematic beginning was enough for her.

Not that Angelica was one to run.

"Hey, little sister," Alysa's voice broke into her train of thought, and she suddenly found herself buffeted by a bruising hug. Angelica seamlessly let go of her hand so she could return the embrace, and she grinned.

"Merry Christmas, Alysa," she said. "How's it going?"

"Tiring," she said, rocking back on her heels. "Arthur decided that four thirty was plenty late enough to sleep in this morning. Thankfully Jason hasn't quite got it quite worked out that there's a reason to be up early, but one of them was enough."

"Tragically, I suspect you'll get used to it," Susie told her, before jerking a thumb toward Angelica. "Some people never grow out of it."

"Ha!" Angelica crowed. "_Who_ was up at the crack of dawn?"

"You woke me."

"I did not. I see no reason to be up earlier than seven a.m _any _day of the year."

"Hi Aunty Susie."

Suzie looked down to see the nine year old in question looking up at her. She smiled and knelt down to give him a hug. "Merry Christmas, Arthur."

"Thank you Aunty Susie," he said. "Does this mean we can open the rest of the presents, now?"

Angelica laughed, quite loudly. Alysa blushed and Ty, coming back in the house just in time to catch his son's words, chuckled, but still tried to sound disapproving when he scolded, "Arthur, that's not very polite."

"Oh, he's nine," Susie brushed it off. "Have they made you wait?"

"Mommy and Grandma said we had to wait until you and Auntie Angelica were here before we could open your presents."

There was a stifled cough from somewhere – Susie wasn't sure where – at the phrase 'Auntie Angelica'.

"Well, that's nice of them," Susie told him. "Give us a minute to say hi to everyone and then we'll probably be able to do something about these presents."

"I don't know which of our families is less crazy," Angelica told her when they were alone. The family had scattered to prepare for dinner – changing babies, trying to wash Jason's face and hands, checking on the food – and left the lounge room more or less unoccupied, except for Susie, Angelica and Michael, who was pushing a wooden train along the floor with an expression suggesting fascination. Angelica was down there with him, pushing it back into his reach whenever it slipped too far away.

"At least my half is smaller," Susie pointed out, staggering across to slump onto the piano bench. She would admit, however, if pressed, that opening presents with her family was at least as exhausting as it was with the extended clan across the road.

"Just barely," Angelica said. "That said, imagine what it's going to be like there when everyone starts having kids."

Images of Christmases filled to overflowing with children around her ankles flashed into Susie's mind. "That's not something you should even joke about."

"Inevitabilities rarely are," Angelica grinned wickedly, at which Michael laughed – if Susie hadn't known better she'd have said it was an evil cackle. "We'll have to have ours first so it'll rule the roost."

Susie rolled her eyes at that as she pushed the cover back on the piano and started tinkling out some scales. "At least they've kept this thing in tune," she muttered, trying out a few chords and finding they sounded right.

"When do you want to tell them?" Angelica asked, looking up from her game with the youngest Carmichael.

Susie shrugged. "Want to see if we can make it all the way through the meal this time? Or should we just get it over with now."

"They're your family," Angelica pointed out. "Your call. You know any Christmas carols?"

"_O Little One_," she said, "but I don't think that counts."

"I'll work with it," Angelica told her, scooping up Michael into her arms and crossing the room to the piano. "Put it in a key I can hit."

Susie moved her fingers up the keyboard and tapped out the opening notes to the song in question, transposed somewhat higher to try and reach Angelica's preferred range. Angelica had never been a gifted singer when they were younger – contrary to her view on the subject – but since they had become a couple Susie had worked on it with her and they could now generally find some kind of harmony between them, working out what _did _suit Angelica's voice.

Michael, who had been cooing away to himself, fell silent as they crooned _O Little One_. Susie looked up from the piano, letting memory guide her fingers, watching as Angelica sang to the infant.

It made her ache.

Part of her knew that, at 23, they were really quite young to be talking seriously about children, at least by modern standards – her mother had Alysa by her age already. But one of the few things Susie knew for sure about her life – that she loved music, that she loved Angelica, that she wanted to be a mother. She didn't think she and Angelica would seriously have a child for at least another few years – but, even knowing that waiting was the right thing to do, until they were more settled, until she was through with school, until they had more money, part of her still longed for one, now.

Watching Angelica sing Christmas carols to her nephew was not helping dull the need.

When the song ended, Susie let the room lapse into silence. Angelica raised an eyebrow. "No more tunes?"

"I don't know any other Christmas carols," she reminded her.

"Play anything then."

Susie smiled and played the opening notes to _Wouldn't It Be Nice_, something Phil had introduced her to and a song she had come to associate with her relationship with Angelica. Her fiance grinned and began dancing with the baby in her arms to the more upbeat tune, pitching in on the harmonies and swooping a delighted Michael around the room, his cackling laugh nearly drowning out the music.

The sound of a throat being cleared on the other side of the room startled Susie, and she hit a clinker, dragging everything to a halt. She turned to see her father standing in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face. "That sounded very nice, girls," he said, in a tone of voice suggesting otherwise. "Dinner is ready."

"Wonderful," Susie said, rising from the piano bench, stealing Michael and a kiss from Angelica before heading into the dining room, which was a bustle of activity, adults trying to settle children and claim seats for the forthcoming meal. She settled Michael into his high chair, brushing off Edwin's insistence that he would do it - "You do it every night," she told him, - before turning back to the table.

She raised an eyebrow. The couples had all been seated next to each other, with two exceptions – her mother and father sat at the head and foot of the table, as was their tradition.

And the only seat left for her, by accident or by design, was opposite, rather than next to, Angelica.

A quiet alarm went off in Susie's mind, but she decided that no, she was just being silly and paranoid, and maybe it was inevitable that one of the couples would end up like this, but she had a sneaking suspicion to the contrary.

The meal progressed, by and large, without incident. If anyone noticed the ring on her finger, no-one said anything about it, for which Susie was glad. While lunch certainly hadn't been a disaster, it wasn't exactly what they had planned, either, and Susie was wanting to handle things properly here. She felt Angelica's feet touch hers under the table, and they played briefly with each other, toes grasping and soles melding. It wasn't playing footsie as such, it was just a soothing contact they could share between themselves.

Susie spent dinner talking to Edwin, who sat next to her, about how life had been treating him, and she kicked herself somewhat for not keeping in better contact with her siblings since they had all moved on from home. She really did miss Edwin and Buster and even Alysa, but they all lived in different cities, Buster in an entirely different state, and though they had been siblings they had never been _close_ – not like the DeVille twins were, or even Chuckie and Kimi were. But they were a massive part of her life and she pledged to herself to make more time for them from now on.

"Of course," Edwin said, as if reading her mind, "all time for socialising goes out the window once you have a kid. They warn you about it, of course, but unless you've got very understanding friends, many of them kind of disappear for a while after the birth."

"Thanks for the warning," Susie told him.

He smiled. "Something you don't really have to worry about, huh?"

Susie smiled cautiously.

Her parents had always been a bit of a question mark in regards to her relationship with Angelica, but her siblings had all had differing reactions. Edwin hadn't really gotten it – understanding perfectly what homosexuality was but not quite understanding how Susie came to it, but had eventually decided that as long as Susie was happy he wasn't going to interfere. Buster remained highly sceptical but kept silent to keep peace. Alysa, however, had always strived to play things as being completely normal. It was occasionally awkward, but it was still a step up on her parents and their repressed tolerance.

"Well, you never know," Susie offered, unwilling to flat out say _no_, which she felt would constitute lying to her brother, but not really wanting to get more deeply involved in this conversation before having a chance to tell her whole family about her and Angelica's news.

Edwin, however, was not one to let things go. "You planning on having kids, Susie?"

She smiled at him, deciding that maybe this was as good a time as any. "Well...yes, actually, I am."

Edwin's jaw dropped, but he nodded nonetheless. "Oh." He paused for a moment, seemingly struggling to find the right words for the situation. "With Angelica?"

Susie smiled at him even more broadly. "Yes, Edwin."

"Oh," Edwin said.

"I'm sorry Susie," her father asked, leaning over from the head of the table where he had – Susie kicked herself for not realising – been listening to his offspring's conversation. "Did you say that you and Angelica are planning to have children?"

Angelica's toes retreated to their own side of the table and the blonde raised an eyebrow at her. "We just can't get through a meal, can we?"

"Nope," Susie said. The rest of the table was falling quiet, and Angelica shrugged at her. She shrugged back. "Well, everyone, we wanted to tell you all – we were going to do it after dinner but apparently neither of us are very good at keeping things quiet today – that we're planning to get married next year and start a family."

There was dead silence. Edwin was still thinking to himself. Alysa and Ty were smiling but didn't say anything. Buster looked slightly stunned while his wife Marianne looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. Her mother's expression was unreadable.

"Well, congratulations," her father finally said.

"About time you made it official, Suz," Alysa commented. "I think married life gets a bad rap. The only way to be, if you ask me."

Susie smiled at her sister as everyone else murmured congratulations. But when she turned to face her mother, the older woman's expression hadn't changed.

She knew she'd been nervous for a reason.

8 * - * - * 8

_to be continued in Chapter 2, coming soon._


	2. Chapter 2

**Wouldn't It Be Nice**

Acepilot

8 - * - * - 8

Chapter 2

8 - * - * - 8

After dinner, Alysa and Ty had taken on tea-and-coffee duties in the lead up to desert, which would be eaten a little later. Their parents had retreated to her Dad's study, and Susie had a good idea what they were talking about, so she decided to try and allow herself a quiet moment, to relax with her fiance and siblings in the lounge room. This was made much easier by the fact that the newer generation, fuelled all of Christmas day by the adrenaline and excitement that presents brought, were beginning to drop like flies into the nearest comfortable lap. Buster's son Randy Jr. had chosen her to fall over on, partly, she suspected, because she was sitting on the floor at Angelica's feet and he therefore didn't need to expend any effort into getting up onto the couch.

She could empathise with him. Between the long day they'd had, and the fact that Angelica was massaging her scalp in a very soothing manner, Susie was beginning to feel very, very relaxed.

"So, getting married, huh?" Buster said, finally breaking the silence that had settled upon the collected siblings. "How long have you been planning that?"

"It was quite recent," Susie told him. "We've talked about having kids before, of course, but it's only been a couple of weeks since Angelica proposed."

"I thought so," Edwin nodded.

"You thought what?" Angelica asked, looking up from Susie's hair to her brother.

"I figured it was you who proposed," he said.

"Why?" Susie asked, genuinely curious. "Why couldn't it have been me?"

"Is it because I'm the 'man', Edwin?" Angelica asked.

Edwin was saved from having to step on _that_ land mine by the return of his big sister and her husband, laden down with trays of tea and coffee, which they distributed into the once again silent room.

"So do you two have any plans worked out for the wedding yet?" Alysa asked.

Susie tilted her head up to look at her fiance, who shrugged. "We've had a few discussions."

"The North City Rest," Angelica said, naming the most expensive and presitigious hotel in the county. "Nothing but the best for my girl."

"Very posh," Alysa agreed, nodding slowly. "Careful you don't spoil her too much or she'll never want to come home."

Buster chose this moment to cut into the conversation with a distinct lack of grace or subtlety. "You two sure you aren't too _young_ for children?"

Susie picked up the tone in her brother's voice straight away. "No moreso than Alysa and Ty were," she told him.

Buster nodded, slowly. "Hadn't thought of it like that, I guess."

"Hmm." Angelica muttered.

The air of strained politeness was starting to get to Susie in the worst way, and the effectiveness of Angelica's fingers was starting to notably wear off. Part of her wished her parents would come back out into the room, just to give everyone something _else_ to focus on.

"What if you have a boy?"

"Pardon?" Angelica asked, turning to face Edwin.

"Just...wondering. What if you have a boy? Or are you going to do it via IVF? To make sure?"

"Why do you think we wouldn't want a son?" Susie asked.

"Well, because...well, because you're both girls."

"Alright," Susie said, feeling something in her finally snap, "let's stop dancing around things here. Does anyone have anything they want to say about me and Angelica getting married and having a kid? And let's all be honest here. No holding back. If you've got something to say, let's hear it."

There was deathly silence for a moment, and she could see Ty, Marianne and Isla exchange looks as if conferring in silence to leave the Carmichaels alone. But no-one stood.

Finally, Buster sighed.

"I don't agree with the idea of a child not having a father," he said. "I just don't think it's right."

Susie nodded. She was not entirely surprised by this. She had known it was coming. But it was alright. Her siblings were entitled to thier many and varied views.

"A lot of kids don't have fathers," Angelica said, slumping back into the couch and looking ever so slightly like she used to before breaking into a sulk. "And a lot of single mothers do just fine. By that logic, we'll do twice as well."

Buster stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. "Whatever. It's not like my opinion is going to make a big difference here, anyway."

Before Angelica could respond to that, however, her father stepped into the room. "Susie, your mother and I were wanting to talk to you."

Susie tilted her head back to look Angelica in the eye and try to plead with her to play nice. Angelica rolled her eyes and nodded, allowing Susie to gently dislodge Randy Jr. from her lap and rise up, trying to shake the pins and needles feeling out of her feet. "Sure thing, Dad," she said, following him out of the room and toward his study.

"I'm sorry about how it kind of came out at dinner - we haven't been having much luck with that today," she told him as they walked. "Lil accidentally spilled the beans across the road as soon as she and Phil worked it out. I thought Charlotte was going to faint for a moment, but then she was all about wedding plans and stuff. Angelica's got this crazy idea about the North City Rest, but I'm not entirely convinced we'll be able to pull that one off. We'll see how it goes, I guess."

When she paused to take a breath, Susie realised two things: for one, she was rambling. Secondly, the reason she was rambling was because she was the only person actually involved in this conversation: her father hadn't said anything.

Her hopes sinking a little, she followed him into the study, where her mother sat in the chair behind the desk. She looked as though she had been crying.

Susie took a deep breath.

She had told Phil and Angelica both that she was confident her parents would come through for her. She hoped that she wasn't about to be proven wrong.

"Susie, we want to have an open and honest conversation with you about this...situation that you're putting yourself in."

"Okay," Susie said, "what about it?"

Her parents exchanged looks that suggested neither wanted to be the first to speak, but finally her father turned to face her again. "We think that you're rushing into things, that you haven't thought this all the way through."

Susie raised an eyebrow. "I've been with Angelica for about five years, Dad. I've been living with her for three. I'm no younger than Edwin was when he got married and had a kid. Or Buster when he became a father. Or the two of you, for that matter. Angelica and I have talked about this, at length. We didn't just impulsively decide to do this, it's something we both really want."

"You think that now," her mother said. "But how do you know this isn't something that you'll come to regret later? A child is a big thing to have responsibility for."

Susie shook her head. "I know that, Mom. Why wouldn't I?"

Her parents stared at her.

Susie took a very deep breath. There was no more dancing around this issue, there were no more delaying tactics left. "This is beacuse it's _Angelica_, isn't it?"

Her mother's eyes finally locked with hers for the first time in the whole conversation. "Yes, it is. We both think this is a big mistake, that starting a family with Angelica is something you'll regret later. We don't want to see you jeapordise your future on her."

"Angelica has been my girlfriend for half a decade. She works hard, and makes more than either of you in a year. She loves me, and I love her, and we're ready to take this next step. So, with all that in mind, the only reason I can think you'd be objecting is because she's a girl."

There was a long pause before her mother sighed. "I know you think that it's normal, and maybe it is for you. But the world doesn't work that way, sweetheart. You and Angelica had something together in college, I get that, but what are you going to do in a few years, when you finally do meet a man you'll want to settle down with? How are you going to explain that you've got a child with another woman?"

"You think I'm just with Angelica because I've not met the right guy yet?" Susie asked, the sadness and cautiousness that had hung over her throughout this conversation slowly giving way to a slow burning anger. Incredulity began to slip into her voice. "When you told Grandma you were going to marry Dad, did she ask you if you had thought about what would happen when you met a nice white guy, because that would be better for you socially?"

Her mother's eyes flashed with anger and Susie knew she had perhaps pushed a bit hard. But part of her didn't care. "Susie, you think you want this, but you need to think about things realistically."

"I've heard this speech before," Susie told her, turning away. She couldn't quite bring herself to look either of her parents in the eyes. "Every time I wanted to do something to do with singing or art or dancing I would get the 'but think about it' speech. You gave up a career in singing to become a doctor, and I get that was the right thing for you. But now as a result of that I've spent my whole life being pushed to follow in your footsteps. And I have. I let you talk me out of being a singer, and out of being a teacher, and out of being a musician. But you _will not_ talk me out of this because it doesn't conform to your view of what I should be."

She could practically hear her father's nostrils flare. "Listen up, young lady. We have pushed you all your life only to make sure that you made the decisions that were best for you."

"No, they were the decisions that were best for _you_. You saw your life and it was so good that you wanted me to have it too. Well, guess what? I can. I'm going to be a doctor. And I'm going to be a _great_ doctor, at that. But I'm also going to get to have _my _perfect marriage, whether you like who I choose for it or not."

"Damn straight," Angelica's voice cut in from the doorway, all three Carmichaels turning to face the young blonde. "I think the great tragedy here is that for how much you always said you were proud of her, how much you tried to get her to follow in the path you set for her, you still don't trust Susie's judgement. Either she's got her head on straight or she doesn't, I don't think you should have it both ways, and I say she very much _does_. Of course, I would say that, since she agreed to marry me after all."

"I don't think you have any place in this conversation," Lucy told Angelica, "it's none of your business."

"I've gotta disagree with you there," Angelica said, her voice cooling several degrees. "You see, whether you like it or not, I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to make Susie happy. She's going to be my wife. So her happiness is very much my responsibility. And when I think something - or someone - is threatening that happiness, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am going to be here to help her. Everything about this conversation is my business."

Susie took a long step sideways to stand shoulder to shoulder with her fiance, slipping her hand into the blonde's. "Mom, Dad, we're getting married, next year. And we would love it if you would come and be there. If you don't, or can't...I won't say that I'll understand. But I hope that you can find a way to understand that this...this is me finally doing what will make _me _happy, not what will make you happy. And I hope you can love me regardless."

The look of paralysed shock on her parents faces remained there so long that it burned itself into her memory, before she finally squeezed Angelica's hand and turned away, walking away from her stunned parents and back toward the lounge, to get the things she and Angelica had left there. She had a strong feeling that today was very much over, and that her parents and her both needed time and distance.

She heard Angelica tell her parents, in her brightest and bubbliest voice, "Merry Christmas!" before shutting the study door and following her.

8 - * - * - 8

_Eight months later..._

8 - * - * - 8

"Stop fidgeting," Lor ordered.

"I can't help it," Phil muttered. "I hate these stupid suits."

"I'm not a big fan of this get up either," his girlfriend told him, indicating her own very nice dress, "but if I'm putting up with it then so are you, buddy."

"It's nice to have a sympathetic girl at my side."

She rolled her eyes but leant over and gave him a kiss on the shoulder. "You're a big, well-behaved boy and I'm very proud of you for wearing the suit. Now sit still and shut up."

Whether Phil would have succeeded in following this suggestion, the pair never found out, as there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Kimi Finster. "Hey, Kim. What are you doing out here?"

"Your presence is requested by the bride," she told him, "so if you could kindly come with me?"

Phil looked wary. "You make that sound nice and ominous. Which bride?"

"Angelica. She wants to know if you think her nail polish matches her dress," Kimi said, to her credit completely straightfaced. "Susie, you dope. Come on."

Phil rose from his seat, leaning down momentarily to kiss Lor. "I'll be back. I hope."

"If you don't survive, I'll wait six months before I date anyone. Unless he's really cute."

Phil stuck his tongue out at her as he followed Kimi away from the congregation and toward the back of the hall. "What's going on?"

"Susie just...needs to talk to you about something," she said.

Phil had an uneasy feeling settling in his guts. "Right."

When they arrived at the door to Susie's ready room, Kimi gave his shoulder a squeeze and slipped off toward Angelica's. Phil took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "It's Phil."

"Come in."

He winced at the sound of her voice, pushing the door open and slipping inside.

The room was extremely nice - not surprisingly, he'd hardly expected Angelica to get married anywhere other than the very best. The North City Rest was not cheap but by god, it was worth it. Susie was seated in an armchair worth more than Phil made in a month, her head tilted back and staring at the ceiling.

Phil sat on the end of one of the room's two beds. "Hey."

"Hi," she said.

Neither said anything further for several minutes. They simply sat there. Phil drummed his fingers against each other. Susie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I didn't really expect them to come."

Phil bit his lip rather than call her on the lie.

"I mean, Mom's never exactly been shy with her...views on this wedding."

"No, she hasn't," Phil agreed. "Still doesn't give her the right to let you down like this."

"I didn't want to drive a wedge in my family like this," she said. Phil wasn't entirely sure she'd heard a word that he'd said. "It wasn't my intention. I just wanted to get married, you know? Start a family with the woman I love."

"I know."

Susie looked up at him. "If this is hurting so many people, is it really the right thing to do?"

Phil got up from the bed and walked over to her. "Seems to me that the person most hurt is you. So I think it's your call. Do you want to marry Angelica?"

Susie nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "More than anything in the world."

"Then it's definitely the right thing to do," Phil told her, putting both hands out in front of her. She placed hers in his and allowed herself to be pulled up out of her chair. "If I wipe your tears away am I going to ruin some elaborate effort of make up?"

She laughed, just a little, but it was enough. "No, I think we should be safe."

Phil fished a clean hanky out of his pocket and dabbed at her face, before offering it to her and letting her blow her nose. "You should consider yourself lucky. Most peoples exes wouldn't let them get snot all over their accessories."

Susie smiled at him. "Do most peoples exes act as fill-ins for absent fathers?"

Phil shrugged. "No, but I'm sure I could make an exception." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Let's get you married."

She smiled and the two of them left the room, working their way through the North City Rest toward the function room where the grand event would be taking place. "So, you and Lor talking about marriage yet?"

He snorted. "Highly doubtful. We're only eight months in. And neither of us are really 'marriage' kind of people. So for the time being it's really not in the plans."

Susie snorted at that. "You'd be surprised, Phil."

By the time they arrived at the sortie, Kimi was tapdancing nervously. "Thank god you two are here. Angelica is already halfway down the aisle. It was almost going to be something out of a bad TV show."

"Ye of little faith," Phil ridiculed. "Don't trip over."

Kimi stuck her tongue out at him.

8 - * - * - 8

Susie Carmichael concentrated on taking deep breaths, putting one foot in front of the other, and clenching Phil's fingers like a lifeline to reality. She thought she might in fact float away.

At the far end of the aisle stood Angelica Pickles, looking to all the world her confident, unflappable self. All the world but Susie, anyway: she could see that her bride was nervous by the little facial tics and eye movements that would be all but invisible to everyone else. It comforted her a little to know that she wasn't the only one feeling that way.

When they got to the front, Phil kissed her on the cheek - before leaning across and doing the same to Angelica - and strode quickly over to take his seat next to Lor. She only caught most of it out of the corner of her eye, though, as she was too busy staring at the blonde in front of her.

All thoughts of her absent parents and their fight, of the problems they might face and the issues they might have, flew out of her head, because in that moment she knew very clearly what was next for them.

They were going to get married, and have a child. At least one. And they were going to move into the house they'd been looking at on the northern edge of town, near the hospital so Susie could be close to work. They were going to be a family. They were going to be in love.

They were going to be happy.

Susie Carmichael and Angelica Pickles had plans.

8 - * - * - 8

Sorry this took so long, it's pretty inexcusably late. I've been caught up in other projects - moving city, working on music, other stories, finding a job, that kind of thing. Anyway, things are getting back on track now. This story has been something I've wanted to write for a very long time, of course, and I'm so glad to have finally finished it. The "had plans" line is of course a throwback to the earlier stories as well as this one - this does form a trilogy with "The Best Laid Plans" and "The Gruen Transfer".

This story also, of course, ties in with _Tertiary_ and the forthcoming _From Here On_, in which Susie and Angelica and their son, Sean, will be recurring characters. Lord Malachite and I are putting the finishing touches on the first few episodes and hope to have them out in the near future. We've set up an account especially for it (currently called **fromhereon**) and will be posting snippets and specially written 'previews' there soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed _Wouldn't It Be Nice_ and I always appreciated feedback, on the couple, the story or anything else you read here.

Acepilot (10/09/11)


End file.
